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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28178259">Show The Moon That We Embrace</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sordsnboars/pseuds/Sordsnboars'>Sordsnboars</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Date Night, Kissing, M/M, poorly timed kissing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:33:47</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>5,928</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28178259</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sordsnboars/pseuds/Sordsnboars</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The Fhirdiad Opera House has re-opened after a long hiatus and renovation, and His Majesty Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd and His Grace Duke Felix Hugo Fraldarius are invited to attend opening night for a very special evening.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Felix Hugo Fraldarius</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>2020 Dimilix Exchange</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Show The Moon That We Embrace</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistressAkira/gifts">MistressAkira</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for the 2020 Dimilix Exchange. I had a lot of fun with this! :D</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">“Do we really have to do this?”</p><p class="p1">“I think you’ll find the evening less stressful if you complain less, Felix,” Dimitri said, as Felix adjusted his cape. He smiled as Felix scoffed in response. “Besides, it has been a while since you’ve seen Dorothea. I’m sure she’d like to catch up with you.”</p><p class="p1">“Maybe,” Felix grumbled, now adjusted the straps on his own coat. “I’m not exactly looking forward to catching up with Lorenz or Ferdinand.”</p><p class="p1">“It will not be that bad. I know you will enjoy the opera, at least. When was the last time you’ve attended one?”</p><p class="p1">“It’s been a long time,” Felix admitted. He gave Dimitri a once over. “It is nice that Dorothea was able to restore that old theatre. That thing was an eyesore.”</p><p class="p1">“Yes, it’s fortunate the building was intact. Felix, you look handsome tonight. Did someone tell you to wear that particular coat?” Dimitri said, easily skirting around the topic of why the old Fhirdiad theatre building might not have been intact and opting to fluster Felix instead.</p><p class="p1">“I’m capable of dressing myself,” Felix snapped. “But as it happens, Dedue suggested this one.”</p><p class="p1">“Dedue, huh,” Dimitri said, looking at Felix appreciatively. “He does have a keen eye.”</p><p class="p1">“Right. Should we go, or are you trying to be late?”</p><p class="p1">They made some final adjustments on each other’s clothing; Dimitri fixed a clasp on Felix’s cloak and Felix fluffed a patch of fur on Dimitri’s cape, then they left the castle to a carriage awaiting them outside.</p><p class="p1">Felix, truthfully, had been looking forward to this evening. An opera theatre opening in Fhirdiad was big news—the rundown little theatre building hadn’t put on a production in several years, even before the war, and the construction to renovate it had provided a lot of work to do for local craftsmen, and a local guild of seamstresses had been thrilled to receive the costuming workload.</p><p class="p1">Tonight was the grand opening and the marketplace had buzzed with joy all day. For the inaugural performance most attendees would be nobility—from all over the country, as well as the King himself, and while the Archbishop regretfully could not attend they’d sent Flayn in their stead, who had burst into the castle bouncing with excitement to see her old friends again—but Dorothea, as director of the new theatre, would ensure that there would be plenty of performances thatcommoners would be able to attend.</p><p class="p1">Felix was eager to see the performance as well. He hadn’t attended an opera in many years. The last time he’d been, both of his parents and his brother were with him. Rather than bitterness seeping in, he recalled how happy they’d all been that night. It was a good memory, one of the rare ones of his family not tainted by loss and strife.</p><p class="p1">He wanted a memory like that with Dimitri. One evening where Dimitri could mentally take a break from the daily stresses of running a large, recovering country, where they didn’t have to argue over some subtly that had occurred in court that morning, one night where Felix could simply exist besides Dimitri for a few hours. They so rarely took breaks—Dimitri never wanted to and Felix, with his competitive nature, never wanted to suggest taking a break first. Usually Dedue, Sylvain or Annette would coax one or both of them into a different activity for a while when their friends felt they were working themselves too hard.</p><p class="p1">Dimitri did not seem to think a king could actually overwork himself—he was up late most nights. Felix usually went to bed first. Even Dedue could only distract him for so long. Annette was skilled at distracting Felix, and sometimes Dimitri, but she hadn’t been around in a few months. Before Dorothea traveled to Fhirdiad to start working on the opera house, Annette had gone to Enbarr to help set up another branch of Fhirdiad’s magic academy there. She’d been working as a professor since the war ended, and her boundless energy and dedication left her well qualified to help open another academy branch. Little by little the culture of each country of Fódlan was spreading and mingling and forming something new. Hilda was in Fhirdiad looking for a location to open an artisanal school after the success of her school in Dierdru, and after she selected a location here she’d head to Old Adrestia to find a location for a third branch. She’d accepted an invitation for the opera’s grand opening, citing that she couldn’t miss an opportunity to show off a new evening gown and a necklace she’d designed.</p><p class="p1">Dimitri, Felix had been shocked to learn, had never attended an opera. His father had been invited to them, but he’d never taken his son with him, maybe assuming that a young boy would get bored and be unable to sit still for the entirety of an opera. His stepmother had rarely gone out publicly. He’d also pried out of Dimitri that a few months after the Tragedy, Rodrigue had offered to take him to one, but Dimitri had declined.</p><p class="p1">So now was a good a time as any to introduce him to opera. Besides, his presence at the opening could only be good for the opera house’s attendance going forward, and he spent so much time in the castle now that the citizens were always excited to see him in public.</p><p class="p1">Felix wasn’t exactly looking forward to the mingling between nobility scheduled to happen at a feast after the show, but it would be nice to see old friends. Dorothea had been so busy since she’d arrived in Fhirdiad he hadn’t had the time to see her in person, and it had been a few months since he’d last seen Sylvain face to face. He hadn’t seen others like Ferdinand, Marianne, or Lorenz in even longer, though he didn’t know them as well and he hoped that he could get away with the bare minimum amount of interaction required to be considered polite for nobility. Not that he <em>disliked</em> them, but he dealt with pushy nobles all day long as part of his duties and he wanted this evening to be a break for himself as well as Dimitri.</p><p class="p1">He looked over Dimitri while they chatted idly in the carriage. Dimitri looked… good. He’d been looking better than ever lately; the thinness that he’d had during the way had faded and he’d filled out nicely. He looked strong and healthy, the exact picture of what a king should be. He’d even dressed special for the occasion, pulling out some fancier clothes—at both Felix’s own insistence and Dedue’s encouragement—for the occasion. Felix had reminded him that they needed to dress appropriately for the venue, not to mention it was opening night, and if the King himself had dressed poorly it wouldn’t reflect well on anyone. So Dimitri had opted for a tight black blouse and a Blaiddyd blue coat with silver pauldrons, armored accents, and of course a fur trimmed cape with the Crest of Blaiddyd subtly embroidered on it.</p><p class="p1">Felix went for a charcoal gray coat with Fraldarius teal accents, a little bit of fur trim around the hem. And if anyone noticed the royal blue accents on his belt or the small Crests of Blaiddyd stamped into the leather straps on his boots, that was fine. Felix was also adorned with a decorative ceremonial blade. The blade wasn’t meant to be functional, but he could defend himself in a pinch. Not that he expected assassins to attack while they were at the opera—or that Dimitri wasn’t more than capable of defending himself with his bare hands, but he liked to be prepared.</p><p class="p1">Felix hoped Dimitri would attract enough attention on his own—and he really did look handsome tonight—that he could slip under the radar. He did want to focus on the performance, too. It was a new opera, composed over the past four years by a local musician who’d stopped writing when he was conscripted into the Kingdom army and, supposedly, had started creating this show the night that Fhirdiad had been freed from Cornelia. He adapted a little known early Loog tale for this opera, called <em>The Seelie Knight</em>. Felix wasn’t actually familiar with the source story, but Dimitri had heard of it and Ashe’s face had brightened with excitement when he’d heard which story the production was based on. Felix had outgrown those tales long ago, but Ashe’s excitement was infectious and even Dimitri had seemed pleased by it.</p><p class="p1">They spoke idly on the short carriage trip the the opera house. The outside was beautifully renovated, with unique brick word that blended typical Faerghus architecture with some hints of Leicester design work, with stone quarried from western Fódlan—formerly northern Adrestia. Dimitri had not seen the completed work before, and his eye widened as he took in the detail.</p><p class="p1">“They did a very nice job,” he commented. “It’s going to be quite an attraction for the city.”</p><p class="p1">“Stop thinking about tourism cash flow, we’re not supposed to be working,” Felix said sharply.</p><p class="p1">Dimitri chuckled. “The performance has not started yet, I still have a few moments to think.”</p><p class="p1">Felix couldn’t be <em>too </em>upset; he did know how happy Fhirdiad slowly rejuvenating made Dimitri. His home city had been left to rot under Cornelia’s reign, and it had taken time to repair the damages to infrastructure and the economy, and provide relief for those who suffered, but the city was starting to bloom once again and many saw the opening of the opera house as progress on that path.</p><p class="p1">The carriage stopped and let them out. Dimitri stepped out of the carriage and extended a hand to help Felix down. Felix hesitated a moment and took his hand, gracefully stepping out of the carriage. There were crowds of onlookers outside, buzzing with excitement, and Felix could hear the chatter increase as he took Dimitri’s hand. Felix didn’t like public affection much—not that he hated it, but it often drew attention that he didn’t want. Tonight, though, he found he didn’t mind as much. Felix only held Dimitri’s gloved hand a moment, but it was firm and warm. He stepped down and they walked into the theater, Dimitri pausing to smile and give an awkward little wave to the crowd.</p><p class="p1">As they entered the building, they both stopped and looked around at the entrance. Intricate carvings and traditional Faerghus tapestries decorated the high walls. Felix thought the room might actually be more ornate than Castle Blaiddyd’s entry hall. A moderately sized chandelier lit up the center of the hall, a design from Old Leicester.</p><p class="p1">Dorothea stood chatting in the center of the hall, amidst a thrum of people weaving around her. Her beauty and sheer presence made her stand out in the crowd; with her magenta gown, her bright green eyes, and the pure joy on her face, she was radiant. Tonight <em>was </em>the opening night for something she’d poured years of her life into, finally come to fruition. Standing next to her was Manuela Casagranda, looking nearly as excited as her protege. Neither would be performing in this production; Dorothea had put so much effort into getting the theatre renovated and a production scheduled that she hadn’t had the time to perform too. Manuela was retired as an opera singer, but she’d been in Fhirdiad lecturing at the Academy about new Faith magic techniques and she’d given Dorothea much support.</p><p class="p1">Dorothea waved them over and gave Dimitri a delicate, practiced curtsy. “Your Majesty! I’m so glad you’re here. This is a little embarrassing, but I had always hoped my performances would attract the attention of royalty. I won’t be on stage tonight, but seeing you here for the opening is a dream come true.</p><p class="p1">“Dorothea,” Dimitri greeted her with a bow. “You’ve done marvelous work here. I have not seen so much excitement in Fhirdiad in quite a while. The work you’ve done here is tremendous.”</p><p class="p1">“I don’t think we’re quite on the level of your coronation, but the comparison is flattering,” Dorothea teased.</p><p class="p1">“We shall see,” Dimitri chuckled. He started to chat with Manuela as Dorothea turned to Felix.</p><p class="p1">“You’re looking well, Your Grace,” she said as she bowed politely at him.</p><p class="p1">“Felix is fine,” he groused. Years of hearing that address and it still sounded strange to his ears, especially coming from a friend. He still caught Dimitri tensing up at ‘your majesty’ occasionally.</p><p class="p1">“I have to get backstage soon, but I’d like to escort you to your seats personally,” Dorothea said after a few minutes of chatting as she whisked them away down hallways and up flights of stairs. Felix thought he caught some familiar faces passing by in the swirl of elegant coats and gowns—Hilda’s pink hair, and a flash of purple and red that could only be Lorenz—but there was no time to stop and see as Dorothea swiftly took them to undoubtedly the finest seats in the house.</p><p class="p1">The prominent pair of seats were large and elaborately carved; obviously meant for a king and queen. There were some smaller seats next to them, likely for princes and princesses or guests.</p><p class="p1">Felix didn’t exactly like the idea of sitting in what was meant to be a queen’s seat, but he could not deny the pleasure he got from knowing the two seats were meant for Dimitri and himself. Not a queen, not anyone else; Dimitri was there with <em>him</em>. Dorothea hadn’t batted an eye when she saw them in the entrance hall together—she must have known they’d arrive together, but did she know they were <em>together</em>? Felix had to assume she knew; their relationship was an open secret around the castle. He’d learned from Ashe and Annette that the townspeople gossiped about him and Dimitri a lot, spreading rumors and theories around that Dimitri did nothing to quell.</p><p class="p1">Dorothea made sure they were okay with the seats and left with a quick curtsey, her gown swishing after her as she practically ran from the balcony.</p><p class="p1">“Shall we get settled?” Dimitri adjusted his cape and sat down.</p><p class="p1">Felix hesitated a moment then followed suit. The seat was large, but padded and comfortable despite its ornate appearance.</p><p class="p1">“These must be the best seats in the house,” Felix commented.</p><p class="p1">“I believe they are,” Dimitri said. “We’ve got an excellent view of the crowds. Look how many people are here! Dorothea must be very proud.”</p><p class="p1">“And the stage is front and center.”</p><p class="p1">“Truthfully I would have liked to be a little closer to the stage, but I realize that isn’t feasible,” Dimitri admitted.</p><p class="p1">“What?” Felix frowned. “You can see the stage, right?”</p><p class="p1">“I can see it fine, I’m simply trying to be more considerate of my vision,” Dimitri said. “And I know why she arranged this particular balcony for us, but setting myself apart from the rest of the patrons is not preferable.”</p><p class="p1">“You’re such a sap,” Felix said, trying and failing to keep the fondness out of his voice. “It would be a snub if you didn’t want to sit up here. And you can see people turning around and pointing up at you, right? They don’t mind seeing you up here. Not to mention it’s safer.”</p><p class="p1">“I suppose you’re correct,” Dimitri smiled at him warmly, his eye sparkling.</p><p class="p1">“What are you looking at?” Felix shifted under the attention.</p><p class="p1">“I’m glad you came here with me tonight, Felix,” he said. “I am always eager for your company. And I am glad that our seats are a little more… private.”</p><p class="p1">Felix raised an eyebrow. “Remember that we’re here for the show, boar. Keep your hands to yourself.”</p><p class="p1">“I wouldn’t dream of doing anything untoward in public,” Dimitri said breezily. He leaned forward to peer over the balcony. “Oh, look. I think I see Marianne in that balcony below us. And is that the castle smithy over there? I didn’t know she was going to be here.”</p><p class="p1">Dimitri happily looked down at the bustling audience still finding their seats and chattering excitedly. Felix smiled to himself. He was eager for the show to start, but getting to see Dimitri relaxed and happy was a benefit he had not expected.</p><p class="p1">Not to mention how handsome he was. Felix knew that Dimitri wasn’t aware of his own looks, and that was fine by Felix. It gave him plenty of opportunities to admire Dimitri without being too overt about it.</p><p class="p1">——</p><p class="p1">The curtain rose and Dorothea appeared on stage with all her shimmering energy to give a brief introduction about the theatre renovation and to thank Fhirdiad for all the support she’d received.</p><p class="p1">“And look, we’ve even lured His Majesty out of the castle,” she teased as a spotlight landed on their box seat. The crowd rumbled with amusement. Dimitri briefly stood and waved. Felix tried to shrink into the seat besides him.</p><p class="p1">Dorothea finished her introduction and swished off the stage. The audience quieted as the musical cue started up, and soon the opera was in full swing.</p><p class="p1">Dimitri had never truly been one for theatre. He didn’t <em>dislike</em> it, and he appreciated what the theatre renovation had meant for Fhirdiad, but he often felt like aspects of the productions were lost on him. The costume work was stunning, and it looked like the knight characters were wearing real armor, although they wielded fake weapons. The fairy characters wore elaborate, glimmering clothes. The set pieces looked well crafted and solidly made. It seemed as though every aspect of this opening production had a lot of love and craftsmanship put into them, and Dimitri was glad they were finally able to see their hard work come to fruition. It had been a long time since the people of Fhirdiad, and Faerghus in general, had an occasion to use their skills for more than simple survival. It made his heart ache that they’d suffered for so long, first under a careless regent and then under Cornelia’s vile fist. But to see the city freed and able to enjoy life and leisure again brightened his mood more than anything else possibly could.</p><p class="p1"><em>Almost </em>anything else. While Dimitri tried to pay attention to the show, his mind did wander, and his attention snapped to Felix. Felix was enraptured by the performance—his eyes sparked with interest in a way they rarely did outside of combat, and he was on the edge of his seat watching the actors on stage. Around the middle of the first act the music swelled and the orchestra began a rather grand song, accompanied by the lead actor and actress beginning to sing as they acted out a battle between Loog and a knight of the faerie court.</p><p class="p1">Felix’s gaze was set firmly on the stage, and occasionally his eyes would flutter shut as he took in the music and song. Dimitri enjoyed it too—the fight choreography was excellent, and the orchestra added emotion to the scene flawlessly—but Felix seemed so drawn in he was blind to all else.</p><p class="p1">Dimitri took the opportunity to examine Felix’s face. Felix was rarely this excited about anything, especially anything that didn’t involve weapons or combat, and he could barely remember when they were children and Felix let him share in his excitement. But now his eyes shone brightly, he gasped quietly when the seelie knight feinted a blow against Loog, his lids gently fell shut as he listened to a dramatic swell of music—he was entirely drawn into the story. He looked genuinely <em>happy</em>. Dimitri thought his heart was going to burst with joy.</p><p class="p1">Not that he hadn’t seen Felix happy in recent years. Dimitri would never forget the blush and the smile that spread across his face after their second kiss—the first one had earned him a shocked look, but the second kiss to reinforce the first had seemed to improve Felix’s mood—but Felix had typically kept any feelings of happiness close to his chest after the Tragedy. Seeing how moved he was by the opera, Dimitri wondered if maybe he and Felix were reaching a stage of comfort with each other that they’d both been missing for a very long time.</p><p class="p1">They’d been together for a while, but Dimitri smiled at the idea of having more to learn about the man he was in love with even though they’d known each other their entire lives. He and Felix had both changed as people, and for a long time Dimitri though he’d never enjoy that closeness with Felix again, but no matter how unlikely it had seemed it had happened and Felix had returned his feelings. Dimitri hoped Felix would agree on making their relationship publicly known in the future, although he wanted to see Fódlan reach greater stability before then.</p><p class="p1">He studied Felix’s face again. The theatre was dark, but Dimitri could still see the excitement on his face. Felix was exceptionally handsome, which seemed to be a plain fact to everyone except Felix. His features were sharp but distinguished, and his dark hair and smoldering eyes only added to his mystique. His short temper seemed more attractive than off-putting to most.</p><p class="p1">And he was dressed so handsomely tonight. Dimitri had not missed the small Crests of Blaiddyd on his boots. Felix usually dressed nicely—as a high ranking noble in the king’s court he was obligated to whether he liked it or not—but tonight his outfit was extra ornate. It highlighted and enhanced his figure and his long legs.</p><p class="p1">All of that—all of Felix’s looks and his odd charms and his skills and all of <em>Felix—</em>were for <em>Dimitri</em> and for him alone. Felix was Dimitri’s right hand, his lover, very nearly everything to him.</p><p class="p1">Perhaps not <em>everything</em>—Dimitri would not get carried away. Felix did seem to both dislike and relish in Dimitri’s occasional possessiveness. Dimitri hoped he knew how much Felix meant to him.</p><p class="p1">“Did you need something?” Felix whispered at him.</p><p class="p1">Dimitri blinked. Had he been staring at Felix that long? The duel scene was over and Loog lay injured on the stage, and here he was getting caught staring at Felix.</p><p class="p1">“I am simply admiring you,” Dimitri whispered back, smiling. Felix huffed and turned away, the tips of his ears pink. “It’s rare to see you so engaged in something that’s not sword play.”</p><p class="p1">“Don’t forget why we’re here,” Felix said, turning his attention back to the stage. The blush had spread to the top of his cheeks now. “The fighting arrangement was well done. That’s all.”</p><p class="p1">“Of course,” Dimitri whispered. He turned back to the stage as well. The first act was about half over and he didn’t want to miss any more of it.</p><p class="p1">Still, his attention kept returning to Felix. He followed the story, and he could tell that the performances were stellar, but he did not often have the opportunity to simply appreciate Felix like this.</p><p class="p1">The lights were low in the theatre. Dimitri couldn’t shake the idea of kissing him now—kissing him in public, although only barely. They were behind most of the audience, in a private box, so the likelihood of anyone noticing was slim. Still, Dimitri longed to show Felix affection in public. He was certain he would be able to someday, but he wanted that time to come sooner.</p><p class="p1">He forced himself to focus on the performance. They deserved his full attention, and he felt a little guilty for not giving it to them. Everyone who’d worked on renovating the theatre and putting together this performance had worked so hard on this. He would have to invite the composer to the castle, as well as Dorothea and the orchestra lead. Perhaps the foreman who oversaw construction too; someone with this much architectural skill would likely have some insight into further improving infrastructure in Fhirdiad, and other places around Fódlan that still needed attention.</p><p class="p1">He snapped back to the show. He was here to support the opera house and the production, not daydream about work he was neglecting.</p><p class="p1">Soon there was a dramatic encounter between one of Loog’s companions and a dark faerie; the faerie luring the man into inadvertantly helping cause chaos. The music ended on a dark note, the deep red curtain fell, and the lights slowly brightened.</p><p class="p1">“That was not the end, was it?” Dimitri blinked. “That seemed such an abrupt place to—“</p><p class="p1">Felix stood and stretched. “Is that a joke? It’s intermission.”</p><p class="p1">“Oh! Yes, of course.”</p><p class="p1">Felix looked at him. “You were paying attention, right? Did you see when Sir Ystin challenged the knight even though he was Loog’s stand-in?”</p><p class="p1">Dimitri stood too. “Yes, his lance work was quite good. He must be familiar with it as a weapon.”</p><p class="p1">“He was,” Felix nodded. “Did you notice Scarthorne was hiding in the back? I think he’s behind Exelyn’s betrayal.”</p><p class="p1">“I had not noticed him, no,” Dimitri admitted. “How long is intermission? Shall we stretch our legs?”</p><p class="p1">“Were you paying attention at all?” Felix narrowed his eyes.</p><p class="p1">“Of course I was!” Dimitri said with mock offense. “I will admit I was not concentrating as hard as you, Felix.”</p><p class="p1">“If you’re not paying enough attention we’re going to come see it again,” Felix declared. “Anyway. Intermission is 30 minutes. We shouldn’t go back to the front hall, or you’ll get swarmed by commoners who want to touch your cape and nobles who want to kiss your ass.”</p><p class="p1">Dimitri chuckled. “Lead the way.”</p><p class="p1">Felix exited the balcony into a narrow corridor, and Dimitri followed. They seemed to be the only ones on this balcony level. There were small stairs at either end of the hall.</p><p class="p1">Felix paused for a moment, then went to the right.</p><p class="p1">“I believe we came from the left,” Dimitri said.</p><p class="p1">“No, we came this way,” Felix frowned. “Didn’t we?”</p><p class="p1">“Dorothea did guide us up here quite swiftly, and I was trying to get a look at the architecture,” Dimitri admitted. “I am not sure which way we came from.”</p><p class="p1">“Let’s just go this way,” Felix gestured to the righthand staircase. “Actually, maybe you should just stay here. I can bring you some water, if you want.”</p><p class="p1">“I appreciate the offer, but I will accompany you.”</p><p class="p1">“Suit yourself. Just try not to hold up the intermission, you don’t want to piss off Dorothea on opening night.”</p><p class="p1">They went down the stairs and found themselves in another hallway. There were several doors, presumably leading to more balcony seats, but they were still alone in the hall.</p><p class="p1">“There must be more stairs if we keep going,” Dimitri suggested. Felix grunted in affirmation and they continued.</p><p class="p1">They did find another staircase, but still no other people. The hall they found themselves in now did not seem to get much traffic; there were a few props and planks of wood leaning against the walls like they’d been shoved aside and forgotten.</p><p class="p1">“I think we took the wrong staircase,” Felix muttered as they stood in the empty hall. “We should have run into someone by now. The house is packed tonight.”</p><p class="p1">“We could turn around,” Dimitri said. “Or…”</p><p class="p1">Felix turned to face him. “What?”</p><p class="p1">“We do not often get any privacy at events,” Dimitri suggested. “And intermission is not over yet.”</p><p class="p1">“What exactly are you suggesting?” Felix narrowed his eyes.</p><p class="p1">Dimitri stepped closer. “Kiss me. Just once? This may be the closest we come to doing this in public for a long while. And you are simply stunning tonight.”</p><p class="p1">A small smile spread across Felix’s face as he took a step closer. “Here? Are you joking? Anybody could walk by.”</p><p class="p1">They stood very close now. “They won’t.”</p><p class="p1">“You can’t guarantee that,” Felix said, stepping to Dimitri’s side, closer to the nearest wall. “What would you do if we get caught?”</p><p class="p1">Dimitri moved closer to him, and Felix stepped back until he was against the wall. “I truly do not think it will be an issue. Besides, even if someone did witness us together… I am not sure it would affect the gossip much. I hear there are already numerous rumors in circulation.”</p><p class="p1">“That is true,” Felix said. He put his hands on Dimitri’s arms, held them there for a moment. He looked up into Dimitri’s face and made elusive eye contact with him. “You don’t even care, do you? You probably want to get caught.”</p><p class="p1">“The thought has crossed my mind,” Dimitri admitted.</p><p class="p1">“I don’t want to talk about this tonight. This performance has been a good distraction from… certain topics.”</p><p class="p1">“I don’t mean to slight the opera, but I hope it has not distracted you from me,” Dimitri said, hoping he was expressing playfulness more so than desperation.</p><p class="p1">“Never,” Felix declared, “you’re never far from my mind.” He surged forward, tilting his head up as he pulled Dimitri closer to him, their mouths pressing together.</p><p class="p1">Dimitri backed Felix into the wall, and they kissed and kissed and parted only to breathe. Felix slipped one hand behind Dimitri’s head to tug at his hair. Dimitri ran his hands up Felix’s sides, brushing over the elaborate buckles on his tunic.</p><p class="p1">“If we miss the opening for the second act I’m going to bite you,” Felix warned.</p><p class="p1">Dimitri pulled back and chuckled. “I wouldn’t dare miss a moment of the next act. As for biting me, perhaps after the show—“</p><p class="p1">“Stop it,” Felix demanded, his ears turning red. “I’m serious. We haven’t gone over, right?”</p><p class="p1">“No, I am certain we haven’t. Although I suppose we should return soon… Maybe just another couple—Oh! Felix!” Dimitri yelped.</p><p class="p1">Felix had a pleased little smirk on his face as he squeezed Dimitri’s ass one more time and pulled his hand away. “What’s the problem? Too much?”</p><p class="p1">Dimitri answered him by sliding his hands to Felix’s thighs, gripping firmly, and lifting him up in one smooth motion.</p><p class="p1">“Hey, not fair! Put me down <em>right now</em>,” Felix demanded.</p><p class="p1">Dimitri smiled, shook his head, and leaned in for a kiss. Felix wrapped his arms around Dimitri’s neck and their lips met again.</p><p class="p1">Dimitri held Felix up, but Felix was not passive. He used what space he did have to press forward and demand more; angling his head to guide Dimitri. Dimitri did love the push and pull between them, nothing was ever static between them.</p><p class="p1">“We should—stop now—“ Felix breathed out between a kiss.</p><p class="p1">Someone cleared their throat, loudly and obviously, from the hallway. Dimitri froze, Felix still hoisted halfway up the wall.</p><p class="p1">“Wow! I can’t believe I ran into you two down here,” Hilda Goneril said, strolling towards them. Her pink and burgundy evening gown shimmered in the low light. “I thought for sure you’d be out in the lobby, you know, mingling with people.”</p><p class="p1">“Too crowded,” Felix choked out, his thighs still firmly planted in Dimitri’s palms. He quietly hissed <em>“Put me down</em>.”</p><p class="p1">“Lady Goneril,” Dimitri said. He gently lowered Felix enough for him to plant his feet on the floor, and Felix immediately stood rigidly. Dimitri gave a short bow. “You look splendid tonight.” His face felt hot and he was certain it was as red as Felix’s.</p><p class="p1">“Nice save, Your Majesty. But please, call me Hilda. I’m just a plain old fashion designer, you know. And thank you. I see you two are all dolled up for the occasion. I may need to poach the castle seamstresses if they can do work like that.”</p><p class="p1">“I must beg you not to, I would miss them dearly,” Dimitri laughed. “So, Hilda… Were you, er, looking for us?”</p><p class="p1">“Well, to be completely honest, I was looking for the back stairs,” she said.</p><p class="p1">“These hallways are like a maze,” Felix grumbled.</p><p class="p1">“They sure are!” Hilda agreed. “Anyway, if you guys are done… Um…”</p><p class="p1">“Sparring,” Felix supplied. Dimitri resisted the urge to laugh out loud.</p><p class="p1">Hilda nearly snorted, but she covered her mouth and managed to giggle instead. “Right. Sparring! If you’re done with that you should head back to your balcony soon. Tonight is really special for Dorothea, so please don’t entice her into committing regicide.”</p><p class="p1">“She wouldn’t dare,” Felix snarled.</p><p class="p1">“Relax! I’m kidding,” Hilda held her hands up in faux-defensiveness. “But intermission only has a few more minutes and I’m still not sure where the stairs are.”</p><p class="p1">Dimitri laughed. “I believe they’re this way?”</p><p class="p1">“Lead the way, Your Majesty!”</p><p class="p1">The three of them retraced their steps back to the stairway they’d come down. Hilda disappeared after the first flight, doubtlessly off to gossip with her entourage.</p><p class="p1">Dimitri and Felix reached their balcony again without issue.</p><p class="p1">“I can’t believe I let you talk me into that,” Felix grumbled as they sat back down. They had made it just in time, the lights were already lowering and the orchestra was preparing to resume the second act.</p><p class="p1">“I did not have to try very hard,” Dimitri said. Felix glared at him.</p><p class="p1">“What if it hadn’t been Hilda that saw us? What if it was the castle smithy? Or an assassin?”</p><p class="p1">“I would be surprised if Hilda did not already know,” Dimitri mused. “And I believe most of the castle staff suspects. And I appreciate your wariness, but I do not think there are assassins in the theatre tonight.”</p><p class="p1">“Why would Hilda already know?” Felix asked. “And there could be assassins <em>anywhere</em>. That’s what assassins do.”</p><p class="p1">“I told Marianne, and I know she and Hilda correspond frequently,” Dimitri said.</p><p class="p1">Felix stared at him with his eyebrows raised. His shock was clear even in the dark theatre. “You <em>told</em> Marianne?”</p><p class="p1">“Of course I did,” Dimitri whispered. The audience was quiet now, and while he didn’t think anyone could hear him the new acoustics in the theatre were quite impressive “Just like you told Sylvain.”</p><p class="p1">“I didn’t tell Sylvain anything,” Felix whispered back.</p><p class="p1">“You didn’t? Then why does he keep grinning at us?”</p><p class="p1">“He keeps—I’ll talk with him later,” Felix said, and turned towards the stage. The actors had appeared and the second act was starting. “Be quiet, boar, the show is starting.”</p><p class="p1">Dimitri turned to focus on the stage too. Teasing Felix was fun, but the actors deserved his full attention. Even if Felix was alluring, and even though Dimitri could still feel the ghost of Felix’s lips on his.</p><p class="p1">It did not take long for the performance to regain Felix’s rapt attention. Dimitri made a greater effort to pay attention to the stage this time—and now that he was he also found the music very enjoyable. His gaze occasionally wandered over to Felix despite his best attempts otherwise.</p><p class="p1">After a while he made the daring move of resting his hand gently on Felix’s thigh.</p><p class="p1">Felix jumped and slapped his hand, but Dimitri did not move. “Not now,” Felix hissed.</p><p class="p1">“I am not doing anything,” Dimitri whispered back.</p><p class="p1">Felix gave him a suspicious look, but turned back to the performance. He was quiet for a moment. “Behave now and we can pick up where we left off later.”</p><p class="p1">Dimitri raised an eyebrow, then smiled when we saw a little grin on Felix’s face. “You have my word,” he promised.</p><p class="p1">After a few moments, Felix placed one of his own hands on top of Dimitri’s and held it there. His hand warmed Dimitri’s nicely.</p><p class="p1">He did mind himself through the rest of the show, and found the second act’s plot engaging. He would have a lot to discuss about it with Felix later, after the show was over and he’d made his obligatory appearances speaking with various nobility later. Much later, perhaps after he and Felix fulfilled his current promise to behave.</p>
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